Yes, This Is What We Want

Sunday, August 5, 2018

Despite the polemical aspersions and insinuations of “underhanded politics” by leading negative voices in our community, last Thursday’s local elections show that most citizens of Hamilton County want to move forward with new innovative efforts to provide quality education for our children instead of doing nothing other than criticizing every idea or proposal, or worse, advocating a return to the old discredited policies of our Jim Crow past.

The election results are neither the product of some conspiracy by “liberal zealots, ”and “former members of Barak Obama’s staff,” nor of “naïve voters” fooled by the “liberal elite” and “UnifiEd,”as some who have discovered that their voices don’t carry nearly the influence they thought they did, have arrogantly and insultingly asserted. They derive instead from the acknowledgement by concerned citizens of Hamilton County, both liberal and conservative, that we cannot wallow in the past and must move forward to secure a decent education for all of our children if we are to prosper as a community and a nation, and maintain the United States’ world leadership role in the 21st century.

Those folks who put five pro-progress in education members on the nine member school board are not the ones who “ain’t like us.” It is the ever shrinking minority of negative voices like Roy Exum and Rhonda Thurman who, as last Thursday’s election shows, no longer represent the majority of Hamilton County voters on education issues.

Mr. Exum asks, “Is this what you want?” The voters, influenced by nothing other than their own thoughtful consideration of the issues, have answered, “Yes, it is.”

Mayor Berke’s Administration recently asked the Chattanooga City Council to declare “surplus” three city owned buildings near City Hall so they could be sold to private developers. Property is typically considered "surplus" when it no longer serves the needs of the city and, therefore, the public. Two of the buildings are currently being used. Where are these employees ... (click for more)

In July 2016, Mayor Berke’s staff asked City Council to declare "surplus" a heavily used city employee parking lot on King Street. Council then was asked to transfer title to the Chattanooga Downtown Redevelopment Corporation (CDRC), a city entity. In their presentation to Council, City staff said that they had been talking for a several years to the developer of the adjacent ... (click for more)

City officials said Tuesday they will delay action on the proposal to surplus three buildings near City Hall. Stacy Richardson, chief of staff to Mayor Andy Berke, said the staff still does not have all the answers to questions raised about the plan. She said the staff is still convinced that moving the buildings to the private market as part of the Innovation District would ... (click for more)

A hearing has been delayed on a lawsuit brought by the Tennessee Democratic Party seeking to keep Republican Robin Smith off the ballot in House District 26. Ms. Smith was the only candidate after longtime Rep. Gerald McCormick abruptly announced he was leaving his post to move to Nashville. Chancellor Jeff Atherton on Monday afternoon said he could not take the case until ... (click for more)

Robert Catlett may have been a little bit nervous before Hixson’s first volleyball match of the season Monday evening, but the guy who is now the head coach for the Lady Wildcats after many years as their assistant didn’t seem to show it. Hixson hosted the Boyd-Buchanan Lady Buccaneers in both team’s season opener and it was also the first match for first year Lady Buc coach ... (click for more)